Bye for a while

By London Leprechaun
September 25 2014

London Leprechaun reports on a pivotal day for Middlesex season when worrying was pointless as the points scenario kept changing. You probably get the point. While we hope Lancashire don't get the points, and we don't lose the plot.

On a normal day a scoring rate of less than 3 an over and just six wickets in the day would not have made for much to report on. In the context of the match and the season it made for a gripping day for all the supporters, commentators, and no doubt players. 

The day started bright and sunny.  The 50% possibility of rain did not materialise although the remnants of extremely heavy overnight rain were still noticeable on the car park outside the hotel. Not on the square though and the bright start to the day made it all the more puzzling in hindsight as to why we had chosen to bat the day before.  If the match situation was reversed we would be home and dry in Division 1. As it was everyone was prepared for a nervy day full of every permutation of runs, wickets and potentially dodgy declarations possible. Including the radio commentators who did not stop going on the declaration rules all day.

James Harris - got a crucial wicket

From our point of view the equation was simple.  Keep the Lancashire scoring rate down, and keep taking wickets.  Oh and bowl our overs in time – just like we had in Taunton.  The first two tasks started Ok – Murts and TRJ bowled tightly and the early wicket of Horton gave early hope. But the overrate started slipping after the first half an hour, Prince played a bit like a Prince, Reece was solid and the change bowlers did not pose much of a threat.  At minus 1 on the overrate with Ravi bowling way before lunch, I went for an extended wicket walk, made some phone calls, checked emails, made arrangements for the evening, checked out an uninspiring lunch menu and drank some uninspiring coffee.  None of which had any effect, apart from seeing the overate slip to minus 2 before lunch. Oh how important that deduction at Sussex has now become. It would all be over but for that now.

The only positive was that the runrate was still slow – less than 3 an over meant that Lancs would struggle to get to 350.  Except that the general consensus was that 300 for 8 would be enough for the bonus points to work for them.  And of course Don had worked some magic to pull the overrate back to minus 1.

Post lunch on what was now a beautiful early autumn day was critical, and the first breakthrough/slice of luck was ours when Dawid Malan held a sharp edge, a good catch that looked for a heart stopping moment as if he was going to drop it. But celebrations were abruptly halted when Rees stayed where he was, the umpires huddled and we realised the dreaded no ball question had raised its head. After what seemed an eternity the wicket stood but the commentators were convinced it was a no ball.  On the highlights it is not as clear cut as the radio commentators seem to think, but if TRJ could cut out his no ball habit would save this angst and help the overrate.

And by the way why is it that just because a match is on TV do we have any kind of video referrals? If this had been a normal match it would have been up to the umpire to decide on his own.  So it should be for the handful of matches televised. 

Anyway shortly after Prince mistimed a drive and Chris Rogers took an excellent catch above his head.  A point to us and Lancashire members looked worried. And when James Harris  who bowled a lot better after lunch then before bowled Brown things suddenly looked a lot sunnier.  Although Buttler was always likely to be a threat given his ability to score quickly.  But Ravi, bowling nicely on a pitch beginning to take spin got him without too much damage. At which point all the talk was about the possible declaration at 250/5.  The run rate certainly would not get Lancs to 350 so we just needed to bowl tightly, field carefully and make them work for the runs. Which on the whole we did, Dexy in particular bowling with a real mean streak.  And in a way a declaration at 250 might not have been so bad for us given that the lead would not have been so great.

Anyhow Lancashire finally got themselves to 200, which prompted a huge cheer and the first sound of Lanky, Lanky Lanky in the not well filled public stands. Nothing to do with the TV camera on them of course.

By then we were up to plus 1 on the over rate which meant we could take the new ball in comfort.  Not that it did that much on this lovely sunny evening with batting looking, if not exactly comfortable, not under huge threat either.  So 250 approached, five wickets down and radio and apparently Sky commentators unable to agree if a declaration at that point would be OK.

Another stroke of luck though put paid to that as Croft who had played very solidly apparently feathered a legside ball through to Simmo.  He could hardly drag himself off as replays apparently showed he had not hit it.  On such things do matches hinge.  I am sure we have had crucial decisions go badly for us this year.

So now the equation became 300 for 8 by the 110 overs. Chapple came in with a broken finger apparently but showed little signs of it as some positive batting took Lancs purposefully  to 250 then right at the end a flurry of boundaries left the day very finely poised. 42 of 14 overs for Lancs, three wickets for us.  That worries me the most, given our record this year of not bowling sides out when they have been five/six wickets down. It’s going to be a balance of squeezing the run rate and getting the wickets. And of course if we can’t do that batting for  the best part of two days.  At least we are still in it if things don’t work out in the morning. Lancashire have to get to that 300 or they are broke.

A room with a view

So one way or the other it may be a while before we are back to Old Trafford. Which is a shame as it is quite a friendly ground. And the next time we meet, the Lodge Hotel will have become a swanky four-star hotel to match the swanky new conference venue. Which is a real shame because it is small enough to feel welcoming and has very nice and friendly staff.  And you don’t half get a good view from the balcony while you are getting ready in the morning before you stroll round the corner to the ground proper.

But that is progress in this mad world of cricket economics where counties have to spend money to compete with each other for international matches.

Meanwhile there are fourteen crucial overs tomorrow.